The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) lambasted the military council for annulling the 2020 general election results, calling the move undemocratic.

The new Union Election Commission (UEC), recently assigned to office by the State Administration Council (SAC) after the junta dissolved the original UEC, formally cancelled last year's vote on Monday, July 26.

SAC's actions go against “the 2008 Constitution and election laws and by-laws” an SNLD statement said, calling it “unjust” for “deviating against democratic norms”.

The Shan party said its MPs victorious during last year's race are still the “peoples' representatives”. SNLD won 42 seats last year, making it the third-largest party with lawmakers in Burma's parliament.

The new UEC claims widespread fraud spoiled November's vote, which happened after election officials failed to follow “union election laws and other by-laws”.

SNLD admitted there may have been some issues related faulty voters list, however, the party supported the final count, which it said represented the majorities' wishes.

“If there was election fraud or any debatable issues related to the race, they can be resolved in court according to the law...They canceled election results without providing an opportunity for candidates to address any potential issues during proceedings,” SNLD said in its statement.

In the early dawn on February 1, the military arrested State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s president, Win Myint, from the National League for Democracy before they and candidates from other parties were sworn into office.

Myint Swe was temporarily appointed as the president and declared a state of emergency, transferring all legislative, executive and judicial power to Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing.